THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE
FACULTY SENATE
Senate Document Number 2794S
Date of Senate Approval 5/5/94
Signature of Senate Chair ___________________________ Date _________________
Action of Vice Chancellor:
Approval __________________________________ Date ______________________
Denied __________________________________ Date ______________________
Reasons for denial and suggested modifications:
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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:
EC #2: Recommendations re: Report on the Status of People of Color and
Women at the University
FROM: Executive Commission for Minority Affairs and Taskforce
assigned to review Report on the Status of People of Color and Women at the
University
After long and intense discussion the Executive Commission for Minority and
the Taskforce assigned to review the Report on the Status of People of Color
and Women makes the following recommendations for specific actions that UNCA
should be taken to ameliorate the concerns expressed in the report of April
1993. We feel that the issues of highest priority concern African-American
students at UNCA. Therefore, we recommend that UNCA give its highest
priority to the following matters:
1. The University Planning Council should formulate a longrange plan for
increasing the racial diversity of the student population of the campus.
The plan should not lump all "minorities" together in its long range goals,
but should instead set specific targets for individual racial groups. Since
UNCA is the State's only Campus classified as Liberal Arts I, it is
appropriate that the composition of the population of North Carolina be used
as the campus' guide. It is therefore recommended that by the year 2005,
that the student population of the campus reflect the racial diversity found
in the State. According to the 1990 U.S. census the population of North
Carolina, by race is --
Total White Black Indian* Asian-Pac Hispanic Other
6,628637 5,008,491 1,456,323 80,155 52,166 76,726 31,502
75.55% 21.97% 1.2% .786% 1.15% .475%
(*Special attention should be given to the region's Cherokee population)
2. The Academic Policies Committee should formulate strategies that
address issues identified by the Taskforce which lead to lower grade point
averages which, in the aggregate, over time, are racially identifiable. It
is recommended that policies and programs be instituted that encourage the
distribution of students across the campus' majors regardless of race.
Diversification of the academic departments and programs can begin by -
a) Increased departmental participation in the admission and recruitment
of African-American, Native American, Asian-American and Hispanic-American
students;
b) Incorporating the current and vast amount of excellent cultural and
ethnic scholarship into new and existing courses in all of the campus'
departments and programs;
c) Adopting policies that encourage the development and use of pedagogies
that create a more "multicultural-friendly" and effective classroom climate.
3. The Faculty Senate should consider the adoption of mechanisms designed
to monitor progress towards the further racial diversification of the
campus. It is recommended that the Executive Commission for Minority
Affairs (ECMA) be reconstructed to achieve this purpose. It is further
recommended that the purposes and membership of the ECMA as stated in Senate
Document 0286 be substantially amended in the following ways:
Purpose a) To facilitate communications between UNCA management, the EEO
Office and employees on various aspects of the EEO/AA plan and program and
potential EEO/AA problem areas within the University;
b) To review and evaluate the existing Affirmative Action Plan and the
data/information upon which it is based;
c) To discuss relevant legal and moral issues that underlie EEO/AA
mandates and campus issues;
d) To survey the organizational climate, employee attitudes and
evaluation of resultant data;
e) To make recommendations for appropriate activities and foci for EEO/AA
programming; identification of recruitment sources and programs for career
mobility;
f) To report relevant issues and recommendations to top management; to
other managers and to employees;
g) To review the plans and programs utilized to educate the university
work force on EEO/AA concepts and minority issues; plan programs to tie the
University and community together as related to race and gender issues.
h) To monitor compliance of the University's achievement of the annual
Affirmative Action goals and timetables as established by the University
Planning Council and approved by the Faculty Senate. The following job
groupings would be monitored: Professionals (including administrative
assistants and faculty); Staff (including clerical, and secretarial support)
Skilled Trades (including Construction, Grounds, and Mechanics)
i) To annually review the University's compliance with established
admissions goals for African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans,
and Native Americans;
j) To assist the development of programs designed to assist minority
students toward successful completion of the academic programs at the
university. These programs should also be monitored by the Commission.
k) To monitor compliance with Title IX.
l) To assist the Offices of the Vice Chancellors for Academic Affairs,
Student Affairs, Financial Affairs, and University Relations in the
development of mechanisms that ensure the successful fulfillment of goals
established by the campus' planning bodies regarding the racial
diversification of the faculty, staff and student body.
m) To review annual reports to the University community on the status of
African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Native Americans and
Women at UNCA.
The above purpose proposed for the ECMA assumes as its basis of authority
the North Carolina policy for Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative
Action and the UNCA antidiscrimination policy. The ECMA would act as the
University's EEO/AA committee. In addition, the guidelines, timetables and
goals established by the University planning bodies should also serve as the
authority guiding the actions of the ECMA. It is the policy of the State of
North Carolina to provide equal opportunity for all qualified persons, and
to prohibit discrimination in employment because of RACE (African-American,
Asian-American and Pacific Islander, Native American and Hispanic-American),
COLOR, RELIGION, CREED, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE or HANDICAPPING
CONDITION. It is suggested that the emphasis the ECMA gives to racial
matters proportionately reflect the presence of African-Americans in North
Carolina.
Membership:
>Chair of the Faculty Senate to serve concurrently with his/her term as
Senate Chair; >Two faculty elected by the Senate (at least one of whom must
be an African-American) to serve two-year renewable, rotating
terms; >Two faculty appointed by the VCAA (at least one of whom must be an
African-American) to serve two year renewable, rotating terms; >Two members
of administrative services (at least one of whom must be an
African-American) appointed by the Chancellor to a serve two year
renewable terms; >Equal Employment Opportunity Officer/Affirmative Action
Officer, ex officio >The Chair is to be elected from the African-American
faculty representation >Members of the Commission are to be selected prior
to April 15 of each year for terms to begin the next academic year.
Whenever possible, Asian-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic-Americans and
Women should also be reflected in the above membership.
Recommendations of the ECMA should be reported directly to the executive
committee of the Faculty Senate. As a matter of courtesy, these requests
are also sent to the VCAA. Administrative requests should be reported
directly to the Chancellor who, in turn directs the EEO/AA Officer for
coordinated action with the Vice Chancellors on policy matters.
4. It is recommended that the Vice Chancellors group formulate a
long-range plan designed to enhance the overall condition of
African-American, Native American, Asian-American, and Hispanic-American
students at UNCA. Primary in this plan should be devising methods to
increase the retention and graduation rates of students at UNCA. By the
year 2005, for example, approximately 25% of the students graduating should
be proportionately diverse by race.
5. The Chancellor is an absolutely essential component of any successful
plan to racially diversify the student body, faculty, administration, staff,
and curriculum of the campus. It is therefore recommended that the
Chancellor take at least the following steps towards implementing strategies
aimed at diversifying the university:
a) Make improving the presence and condition of African-American, Native
American, Asian-American and Hispanic-American students UNCA's highest
priority; b) Finalize the hiring of an assistant to the Chancellor who
will also be the chief staff person for the ECMA. This person will
implement the plans to reach the objectives identified in this report as
well as others identified by the campus governance bodies; c) Affirm the
institutionalization of the African-American Colloquium and other First Year
Experience programs as essential mechanisms for the retention and success of
identified student populations;
d) Direct appropriate offices and committees at UNCA to formulate
coordinated long-range plans which address faculty and staff concerns
contained in the ECMA report of 1993
6. To help guide the various offices and committees in formulating plans
appropriate for the further diversification of the campus, the Taskforce
specifically found and recommends that: a) The UNCA's Capital Campaign
Fundraising Drive prioritize the earmarking of significant dollar amounts as
the future source of financial support targeting African-American students.
In addition, it is recommended that federal resources be identified and
utilized as additional sources of support for African-American, Native
American, Asian-American and Hispanic-American students; b) The creation
of longterm partnerships occur between the campus and contiguous local
school systems. The objectives of this partnership should the increased
successful matriculation of elementary and high school students and the
increased presence of local African-American, Native American and Hispanic
American students at UNCA; c) The implementation of Summer Transition
programs be designed to assist high school students in actualizing
undergraduate enrollment; d) The expanded availability of student
support services such as tutoring, counseling, and advisement be
appropriately tailored to meet the continued diversification of the student
population. Specifically, it is recommended that Student Affairs and
Academic Affairs hire African-Americans, Native-Americans Asian-Americans
and Hispanic-Americans as remedies cited by the Report; e) The Council
of Chairs be included in the longterm plans for diversifying the faculty of
UNCA. They, especially, should be empowered to formulate plans to hire
greater numbers of tenure-track and adjunct faculty who are
African-American, Native-American, Asian-American and Hispanic-American. f)
The appropriate committees and offices be identified and directed to develop
approaches to the solving problems associated with poor academic
performances and retention among the entire student body. Problems that
seem universal to all students include unfamiliarity with the language,
protocol and expectations of higher education, poor class attendance,
unreasonable employment schedules, lack of campus childcare, and both over-
and under-involvement with the co-curricular life of the campus.